The Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) is a massive rewrite of American labor law that, if signed into law, would fundamentally transform and potentially derail the overall American economy and effectively destroy the franchise model, as well as gig economy.
In light of this—or, perhaps, because of this—its proponents have not (or will not or cannot) put a cost to its impact.
In fact, according to a 2019 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, the CBO could not even provide an estimate of the PRO Act’s overall costs to the economy, stating:
For the private sector, CBO cannot anticipate the number of businesses likely to be affected by the bill or the extent of changes in their labor practices resulting from it; therefore, CBO cannot estimate the cost to comply with many of those requirements. [Emphasis added.]
On this episode of Labor Relations Radio, American Action Forum’s labor policy analyst, Isabella Hindley, discusses her research into the economic costs of the PRO Act, including its negative economic impact on the franchise model and independent contracting models.
Isabella Hindley’s Work on the PRO Act:
Recent Labor Regulations Will Disincentivize the Franchise Model
DOL’s Independent Contractor Classification Proposed Rule Will Disrupt the Labor Market
View Ms. Hindley’s other research here.
For all prior episodes of Labor Relations Radio, go here.
Labor Relations Radio, Ep 68—AAF's Isabella Hindley on the PRO Act's Economic Costs